Since dried foodstuffs, particularly dried fruits and vegetables, can be stored for extended periods of time without deterioration and because tremendous savings in weight and volume are realized, drying has a very strong economic reason for being the preferred method for the preservation of foods, particularly those foods which are used commercially as intermediates in the production of consumer-oriented prepared foodstuffs. With the exception of the expensive freeze-drying technique, commercial drying procedures presently employed result in products which are appreciably reduced in color, flavor and fragrance. This reduction in natural properties is due to a number of factors, primarily the thermal requirements of the specific drying procedures.
Presently employed procedures for drying foods involve blanching or pre-cooking prior to drying; this blanching procedure results in the loss of volatile flavors as well as a loss in natural color and nutrition. Many of the remaining volatile constituents are further removed during conventional procedures such as tunnel drying, particularly in view of the fact that such drying usually requires exposure of the food to elevated temperatures for periods of anywhere from about 6 to about 24 hours. While drum drying does not require such lengthy heating periods, the successful use of this procedure has been limited to only a small number of foods and the resulting products have been deficient in quality and texture.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a method for the rapid drying of foodstuffs, particularly fruits and vegetables. It is a further object to provide a method for drying these foodstuffs without the necessity for blanching and with little or no loss in the natural properties of color, flavor and fragrance. It is also an object to provide a method for producing dried foodstuffs which are storage stable and which when reconstituted or otherwise added to foods will desirably contribute to the color, flavor and texture thereof. An ancillary object of the invention is to provide a method for extending foodstuffs with minimal loss of natural properties. These and other objects will become apparent from the description which follows.